Batten roof system



April 9, 1968 G. G. GYEKIS BATTEN ROOF SYSTEM Filed April 29, 1965 INVENTOR 3,376,680 BATTEN ROOF SYSTEM George G. Gyekis, McCandless Township, Allegheny County, Pa., assiguor to Miller-Thomas G-yekis Incorporated, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 451,923 5 Claims. (Cl. 52463) This invention relates to a batten roof system, more particularly to such a system employing a gutter member, a holddown clip to hold the gutter member down upon a base, roof sheets on both sides of the gutter member each having an edge extending over the adjacent edge of the gutter member and a cap atop the assembled gutter member, holddown clip and roof sheet edges together with means for fastening down the cap while providing for relative expansion and contraction between the elements of this system. My batten roof system is installable with unprecedented ease in a minimum of time with unskilled labor.

In batten roof systems as heretofore proposed and employed the applying and tightening down of the cap has presented a problem which has not been satisfactorily solved. Generally it has been necessary to make on the job an opening in the holddown clip to receive a screw or other fastening device to fasten down the cap. It is diflicult to accurately make such a hole while working on a sloping roof, 'and in addition difiiculty is experienced in finding the hole with the screw or other fastening device when the cap is to be tightened down. It has been proposed to form a continuous slot through the holddown clip and to project downwardly through the slot the lower end of a bolt with a transversely elongated nut applied to the bolt and to turn the nut to transverse position so that its ends underlie the portions of the clip at opposite sides of the slot and then tighten the bolt into the nut. This also is a difiicult procedure requiring considerable skill. Various other means have been proposed for fastening down the cap but these have involved relatively complex and costly structures requiring skill beyond the capabilities of the ordinary workman.

I have devised a batten roof system which can be assembled without making any holes on the job and in which the cap can be applied and fastened down in a minimum of time by completely unskilled workmen. I provide a holddown clip of entirely novel construction adapted to cooperate with a cap in novel manner, the cap with a bolt extending downwardly therethrough and with 'a not applied to the bottom of the bolt being assemblable with the other elements of the batten roof system by longitudinal movement, the bolt entering the open end of a slot in the clip having the opposite end of the slot closed whereafter the bolt may be tightened into the nut to maintain the assembly.

I provide a batten roof system comprising a gutter member, a holddown clip to hold the gutter member down upon a base, the holddown clip having a transverse portion disposed within the gutter member and extending across the gutter member, the transverse portion of the holddown clip having a longitudinal slot extending into such portion from one end thereof and States Patent 0 terminating intermediate the ends thereof, roof sheets on both sides of the gutter member each having an edge extending over the adjacent edge of the gutter member, a cap atop the assembled gutter member, holddown clip and roof sheet edges and having portions extending downwardly on both sides thereof, a bolt extending downwardly through the top of the cap with the bolt head atop the cap and a nut applied to the bolt below the cap, the nut having a dimension greater than the width of the longitudinal slot in the transverse portion of the holddown clip so that the nut may span the slot and overlap the transverse portion of the holddown clip on both sides of the slot, the bolt entering the slot upon application of the cap by a longitudinal movement with the nut below the slot whereafter upon turning of the bolt the nut is tightened against the under side of the transverse portion of the holddown clip. Preferably the opposed edges of the transverse portion of the open end of the slot are inclined toward each other in the direction from the open end of the slbt toward the opposite end of the slot to guide the bolt into the slot. Means are preferably provided forming a pocket for the nut adjacent the closed end of the slot at the under face of the transverse portion of the holddown clip to limit turning of the nut upon turning of the bolt. The pocket may be formed by downward flanges along the opposed edges and at the closed end of the slot in the transverse portion of the holddown clip, the edge flanges terminating short of the end flange a distance such as to receive the nut between them but limit turning of the nut. I also provide 'a novel holddown clip having the characteristics above indicated. The flanges in addition to forming the pocket strengthen the holddown clip.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention in which FIGURE 1 is an exploded isometric view of my batten roof system with a portion of the cap cut away to show the bolt and nut;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the assembled batten roof system;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the holddown clip with the bolt being indicated by a circle and the nut by lines forming a rectangle; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line IVIV of FIGURE 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is provided a gutter member designated generally by reference numeral 2 which may be of conventional construction and may constitute a continuous extrusion of aluminum or other suitable material. It is formed of generally channel shape with the side walls diverging upwardly. The gutter member 2 has a bottom 3 and opposed upwardly and outwardly diverging side walls 4. It may, as above indicated, be of conventional construction.

When the batten roof system is to be applied the gutter member 3 is set upon a base constituting the roof support and is held down to the base by longitudinally ,spaced holddown clips 5. Each holddown clip comprises opposed generally upright leg portions 6 each having an outturned foot 7 atits bottom, each leg portion 6 being reversely turned at its upward extremity at 8 and having a downwardly and inwardly extending portion 9 disposed parallel to the portion 6, the opposed portions 9 being connected by a transverse portion 10. As shown in FIGURE 2 the legs of the clip lie outside the side walls 4 of the gutter member with the portions 9 extending downwardly into the gutter member so that the transverse portions 10 extends within and across the gutter member. The feet 7 of the clip may extend substantially at right angles to the portions 6 as shown in the drawings or they may extend at an acute angle to the portions 6 so asto lie flat upon the base, the angularity of the feet 7 being dependent upon the structure of the base to which the batten roof system is applied. The feet 7 are fastened down to the base by screwsor other suitable fastening members 7a.

My holddown clip is of novel construction in that the transverse portion 10 thereof has a longitudinal slot 10a extending thereinto from one end thereof and terminating intermediate the ends thereof as clearly shown in FIG- URES 1 and 3. The opposed edges 10b of the transverse portion 10 of the holddown clip at'the sides of the open end of the slot a are inclined toward each other in the direction from the open end of the slot toward the opposite end of the slot to guide the bolt presently to be described into the slot upon relative longitudinal movement between the cap presently to be described which carries the bolt and the clip. Means are provided forming a pocket 10c for the nut presently to be described adjacent the closed end of the slot10'a at the under face of the transverse portion 10- of the holddown clip to limit turning of the nut upon turning of the bolt. In the form shown the pocket 10a is, formed by downward flanges 10d along the opposed edges of the slot 10a and a flange 10a at the closed end of the slot 100:. The edge flanges 10d terminate short of end flange 10a a,distance such as to receive the nut between them but limit turning of the nut as will presently be described.

Roof sheets 11' are disposed on the base and have adjacent their edges upwardly extending portions 12 with downward lips 13 whose extremities extend. over the adjacent edges of the gutter member as shown. The edges of the roof sheets also extend over the holddown clips.

The assembly of the batten roof system is maintained by a cap 14 which is. disposed. atop the assembled gutter member, holddown clips and roof sheet edges and has portions 15-extendingdownwardly on both sides as shown. A bolt 16 extends downwardly through the top of the cap with the bolt head 17 atop thecap, and a nut 18 is applied to the boltbelow the cap. The nut 18 is the form shown is rectangular and in any event has. a dimension greater than the width of the slot 100:;

In assembling my batten roof system the gutter member, holddown clips and roof sheets are disposed in the relationship to each other shown in the drawings, which relationship is conventional in the art, whereupon the cap 14 is applied atop the assembled gutter member, holddown clips and roof sheet edges and is moved relatively thereto longitudinally, i.e., in the direction of the length of the gutter member, so that the -bolt.16 enters the slot 10a with the nut 18 disposed below the transverse portion 10 of the holddown clip as shown in FIGURE 2. The longitudinal movement of the cap relatively to the other elements of the batten roof system is terminated when the nut 18 is disposed immediately below the, pocket 10. The cap may be moved longitudinally untilthe bolt engages the end flangelOe and then backed off slightly. The bolt islifted up to raise the nut 18 into the pocket 100 in the position shown in FIGURE 4 whereupon the bolt isv tightened down into the nut, firmly fastening the cap to the clop and maintaining the. assembly of the gutter member, clip and roof sheet edges. The relative dimensions of the nut 18 and pocket 100 are such that the pocket limits turning of the nut as is clearly illustrated in FIGURE 3.-

The raising of the bolt and nut so that the nut is disposed in the pocket before the bolt is tightened may be accomplished manually or by a special tool. The bolt is supported to prevent the bolt and nut from dropping down while the bolt is tightened into the nut, assuring that the nut is maintained in the pocket throughout tightening of the bolt. Suflicient clearance is provided between the nut and the flanges 10d and 10a to allow for relative expansion and contraction between the cap and clip. Also the gutter member 3 may expand and contract within the clips 5.

Thus I have provided a batten roof system of great utility which may be applied easily and in -a minimum time by unskilled labor requiring no hole formation on the job and which makes adequate provision for relative expansion and contraction of the elements due to temperature changes.

While I have shown and described a present preferred. embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A batten roof system comprising an extending concave gutter member, a holddown clip to hold the gutter member down upon a base, the holddown clip having a.

transverse portion in a plane substantially-parallel to the plane of the base, the transverse portion being disposed within the gutter member between the topand bottom thereof and extending across the gutter member, the transverse portion of the holddown clip having a longitudinal slot extending into such portion from one end thereof and terminating intermediate the ends thereof and also extending longitudinally of the gutter, roof sheetson both sides of the gutter member eachhaving an edge extending over the adjacent edge ofthe gutter member and downwardly into the gutter, a cap atop the assembled gutter member, holddown clip and roof sheet edges and having portions extending downwardly on both sides thereof, a bolt extending downwardly through the top of the cap with the bolt head atop the cap and a nut applied to the bolt below the cap, the nut having a dimension greater than the width of the longitudinal slot in the transverse portion of the holddown clip-so that the nut may span the slot upon the lower side of the transverse portion and overlap the transverse portion of the holddown clip on both sides of the slot, the bolt entering the slot upon application of the cap by a longitudinal movement with the nut below the slot Whereafter, upon turning of the bolt the nut is tightened against theunder side. of the transverse portion of the. holddown clip, whereby upon expansion and contraction of the members by reason of changes in temperature, relative sliding movement may take place between the holddown clips and the gutter.

and associated bolts.

2. A batten roof system as claimed in claim 1 in which the opposed edges of the transverse portion of the, hold- 1 down clip at the sides of the open end of the slot are inclined toward each other in the direction from the open end of the slot toward the opposite end of the slot to guide the bolt into the slot.

3. A batten roof system as claimed in claim 1 in which means are provided forming a pocket for the nut adjacent the closed end of the slot at the under face of the transverse portion of the holddown clip to limit. turning of the nut upon turning of the bolt.

4. A batten roof system as claimed in claim 3 in which the pocket is formed by downward flanges along the 0pposed edges and atthe closed end of the slot in the transverse portion of the holddown clip, the edge flanges terminating short of the. end flanges a distance such as to receive the nut between them but limit turning of the nut.

5. A holddown clip for a batten roof system comprising generally upright legs having a substantial depth and a transverse portion extending between the legs in a plane intermediate theltops and. bottoms of the legs and sub- 5 6 stantially parallel to a plane through the bottoms of the References Cited legs, the transverse portion having a longitudinal slot ex- UNITED STATES PATENTS tending into such portion from one end only thereof and terminating intermediate the ends thereof, the edges of 2907287 10/1959 Trestle 52 463 the clip material being turned downwardly along the edges of the slot adjacent the open end thereof, thereby providing a pocket adjacent the closed end of the slot for receiving a nut to lie against the under face of the trans- HENRY SUTHERLAND Primary Emmi-"en verse portion adjacent the closed end of the slot While limiting turning of the nut. 0 STENZEL, Examine!- 

1. A BATTEN ROOF SYSTEM COMPRISING AN EXTENDING CONCAVE GUTTER MEMBER, A HOLDDOWN CLIP TO HOLD THE GUTTER MEMBER DOWN UPON A BASE, THE HOLDDOWN CLIP HAVING A TRANSVERSE PORTION IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF THE BASE, THE TRANSVERSE PORTION BEING DISPOSED WITHIN THE GUTTER MEMBER BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM THEREOF AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE GUTTER MEMBER, THE TRANSVERSE PORTION OF THE HOLDDOWN CLIP HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SLOT EXTENDING INTO SUCH PORTION FROM ONE END THEREOF AND TERMINATING INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF AND ALSO EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE GUTTER, ROOF SHEETS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE GUTTER MEMBER EACH HAVING AN EDGE EXTENDING OVER THE ADJACENT EDGE OF THE GUTTER MEMBER AND DOWNWARDLY INTO THE GUTTER, A CAP ATOP THE ASSEMBLED GUTTER MEMBER, HOLDDOWN CLIP AND ROOF SHEET EDGES AND HAVING PORTIONS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF, A BOLT EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE TOP OF THE CAP WITH THE BOLT HEAD ATOP THE CAP AND A NUT APPLIED TO THE BOLT BELOW THE CAP, THE NUT HAVING A DIMENSION GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE LONGITUDINAL SLOT IN THE TRANSVERSE PORTION OF THE HOLDDOWN CLIP SO THAT THE NUT MAY SPAN THE SLOT UPON THE LOWER SIDE OF THE TRANSVERSE PORTION AND OVERLAP THE TRANSVERSE PORTION OF THE HOLDDOWN CLIP ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SLOT, THE BOLT ENTERING THE SLOT UPON APPLICATION OF THE CAP BY A LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT WITH THE NUT BELOW THE SLOT WHEREAFTER UPON TURNING OF THE BOLT THE NUT IS TIGHTENED AGAINST THE UNDER SIDE OF THE TRANSVERSE PORTION OF THE HOLDDOWN CLIP, WHEREBY UPON EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF THE MEMBERS BY REASON OF CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE, RELATIVE SLIDING MOVEMENT MAY TAKE PLACE BETWEEN THE HOLDDOWN CLIPS AND THE GUTTER AND ASSOCIATED BOLTS. 